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Morneau named NL Player of the Week

Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau has been named National League Player of the Week for the week ending April 20, 2014. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

In seven games last week, Morneau recorded a Major League-leading 12 RBI and a .875 slugging percentage while his 21 total bases were tied for the most in the Majors. His three home runs were tied for second in the N.L. while his .375 batting average (9-for-24) ranked 10th.

Over the weekend, the Canadian slugger collected a combined nine RBI in three games against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. In Sunday's series finale, Morneau went 2-for-4 with a run scored and five RBI in a losing effort as Philadelphia avoided the sweep by outlasting the Rockies in a 10-9 slugfest. It was his third consecutive multi-RBI game and the fourth in his last five games. The 32-year-old also hit his fourth home run of the season in the loss, a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning which tied the game at eight. Morneau, who signed with the Rockies as a free agent in December, clubbed his first home run at Coors Field in Saturday night's contest between the two clubs. The two-run shot in the fourth-inning proved to be the difference as the Rockies won by a 3-1 tally. The home run marked just the second of his career in Denver, having hit his first as a member of the Minnesota Twins on May 18, 2008. In Friday's outing, the 12-year veteran got the Rockies offense started with a two-run double in the bottom of the first en route to a 12-1 victory. He was also busy in the field, setting a career-high and tying a Rockies franchise record with 18 putouts in a 9.0 inning game (also: Todd Helton 6/19/09 vs. PIT). This is the third career weekly honor for Morneau, who previously won in the A.L. for the weeks ending July 6, 2009 and July 9, 2007, both as a member of the Twins.